School feeding as a territorial policy: the invisibilized role of school cooks in the PNAE

Abstract

The Brazilian National School Feeding Program (PNAE) constitutes a fundamental public policy for ensuring the right to adequate food and for strengthening educational practices within the school context. This article analyzes the PNAE from a territorial perspective, problematizing the role of school cooks, which is often rendered invisible in institutional and academic contexts. It is based on the hypothesis that, although these workers are central agents in the implementation of the program, they are marginalized within the legal framework, particularly in a context of public policy reconfiguration under neoliberal logic. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative approach, based on document analysis and semi-structured interviews conducted in two schools in the Federal District. The results show that, in addition to the predominance of women, revealing the gender dimension associated with care and food-related work, there is low male participation in these roles, reinforcing the sexual division of labor. Although they perceive themselves as valued in the school daily life, school cooks remain underrecognized in decision-making processes and in the program’s regulations, often being reduced to the technical role of “food handlers.” Furthermore, inequalities were identified in the participation of these professionals in Food and Nutrition Education (FNE) activities, which weakens the intersectoral and educational nature of the policy. It is concluded that recognizing the role of school cooks is essential for consolidating the PNAE as a territorial policy, expanding its social, educational, and political dimensions.